1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of distributing image information between information processing apparatuses (also called “image processing apparatuses”) each having a function of operating the image information through network such as a satellite line. In particular, the present invention relates to a technique of accepting a client's request and editing the image information along the request to efficiently distribute the edited image information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up to now, printed elements such as a poster are utilized for the purposes of advertisement or publicity. There are various printed elements including a postcard size and a large-sized poster. As usual, a client requests a professional trader to prepare such a printed element.
However, in the case where the client requests the professional trader to prepare the printed element, if the number of printed elements is small, the costs for preparing the printed elements become frequently high according to experience.
On the other hand, in recent years, the performance of a color printer is extremely improved, and the price of the color printer are increasingly lessened. For that reason, a case in which the client purchases the color printer and prints a picture produced by the client through the color printer can make the costs lower than a case in which the client requests a professional trader to prepare a printed element.
However, even in this case, it is difficult for the client who is not a professional trader to prepare the printed element. This is because there are various options in printing environments, elements used within the printed element, such as a photograph image or an illustration image (hereinafter referred to as “element”), character fonts, edition and color sorts, and a heavy load is applied to an operator who prepares a layout and a computer system to be used when the client conducts all of the layout preparations. In particular, the edition of image information requires an excessive processing steps such that the compressed image information that represents the element to be used is expanded once.